Chimera
by buttercupbella
Summary: Even gods couldn't escape from tragedies. — mythology!au, collection of pairings


**Title: Chimera**

**Summary: **Even gods couldn't escape from tragedies. — mythology!au, collection of pairings

**Notes: **on a night of supposed studying, my mind just wandered. idk what happened next. some variations (most of them are just unpopular versions of the stories but i did some illegal stuff sue me) on greek mythology but other than that try to guess who is who! ugh grim reminder that i have a shit ton of homeworks to do

credits to homer and other poets for the passages; warnings for oocness sob

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**α**

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—_ long since you would have been dropped beneath the gods of the bright sky_

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**i. **

With blood-red eyes, he surged on, footsteps as heavy as his celestial spear.

After the council of gods, Natsume seethed, and if only Yuu wasn't around, he would have had demolished the whole of Olympus with his army of brutal warriors. His chariot was very much necessary at that moment — Phobos and Deimos were fond of terrorizing the minds of worthless mortals and minor gods who weren't even skilled at handling weapons.

"Beauty causes war," Yuu had said, demanding the undivided attention of his children and wife. "And so does love. Romance shall not result to competition under my reign, and those who defy me will be exiled to Tartarus."

"As such, love will be taken from all of you and given to whom does not possess beauty. You have spoiled your gift; let it be seized from you."

At that, Mikan rose from her throne, perfect honey-brown locks cascading as she made an effort not to shatter under Yuu's will. She knelt at her king's feet, and for once, she ignored the stains on her white _peplos _and bowed without the grace she usually carried. "Forgive me, Father."

Only Natsume could notice the strain in her voice, and he himself could not avoid the dangerous pain in his throat as he tried to speak.

No words came out.

Yuu only looked at her. "Stand up, daughter. Prepare yourself for your marriage to Kuonji."

Mikan gasped. "But —"

"You order men to fall at your sight — thus, I condemn you to be one with a man who will love you not only for your face," Yuu pounded his fist on the arm of his golden throne, silencing Mikan. Natsume couldn't prevent himself from talking back and assaulted Yuu, irises glowing in pure anger.

"_You will not do this._"

His sisters and brothers only raised their eyebrows at his foolishness. Call Natsume impulsive — he still would not give an absolute damn about the fact that his family was trying to separate him from Mikan. Yuu, with just a flick of his finger, sent Natsume flying to the wall. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Natsume snarled. "This is unacceptable."

"Foolish child," Yuu said. "If only I had the choice of stripping you of your identity as an Olympian — _you _are the reason Mikan will be wed to Kuonji. I created you, my children, to hold the heavens and earth on an equal scale. Yet it is _you _who tips it and wrecks havoc among gods and mortals alike."

"But you are my son," Yuu whispered, gaze as cold as frost. "I will give you another chance, but Mikan must be sacrificed. All because of your destruction."

He glanced at Kuonji, who continued to tinker with his new inventions and displayed no emotion at the announcement.

Natsume persisted, restricting himself from unleashing his fury. "But I will only change under love's circumstances. You take away the very thing that triumphs against wars, so how would you expect me to be calm and cease my ways?"

"You are wrong. For you, everything can become a reason for conflict. No matter what you lose, you will always find that battle is set in your heart as it is on stone."

Ears ringing from anger, Natsume screamed, blinded by a flash of light as Mikan disappeared into the brightness.

**— — —**

She tasted salty.

Mikan muffled her sobs by drowning herself in Natsume's incessant kisses. His calloused hands cradled her smooth jaw as gently as they could. "I'm sorry, Natsume. I'm sorry."

In response, Natsume grunted and savored the sight in front of him — he will never have the opportunity to see her like this, ethereal and dazzling underneath him, during the day. Although it seemed too tragic for him, he always remembered that she was his every night, and she would love only him even if she was bound to somebody else.

"I love you," Mikan mumbled, holding Natsume close to her figure. "I always will. Not even this destiny can separate us."

With another fiery connection between their lips, Natsume almost gave in to his own despair, thinking of Yuu's words and listening to Mikan's imaginary voice saying the opposite of what she had just uttered.

After all, didn't wars burgeon from love?

* * *

— _reign forever as the starry queen for as long as night survives_

* * *

**ii. **

"They do not know," Koko sang while his fingers danced on a majestic harp. "Nobody will ever know."

Sumire huffed and bent her head towards her golden bow. She seemed to catch not only the beasts in the forests but also the moonlight. In the company of the stars, her skin glowed, and Koko didn't waver in the middle of his song — although it sounded to Sumire like he was performing one of his riddles.

They had been born as twins, and Sumire had sworn that the gods intended mischief when they gave them their roles. Koko was stuck with lyrics of his own and prophecies that many do not believe in; Sumire governed the hunt and protected maidens' virginity.

Every evening, Koko pulled Sumire out to his hideout beneath the trees. Exhausted after a day's work of controlling the sun, Koko smiled and sang, knowing that although she may not admit it, her sister was charmed by his voice and his ability to play his stringed instrument.

Their daily lullaby was terminated by Koko's ferocity.

Sumire hadn't noticed it at first — how Mochiage, one of her hunting companions, had grown so fond of her. He always volunteered to repair her quiver (some insatiable beasts had snatched it with their teeth a few times) and threatened to destroy every single one of the creatures he encountered for the sake of Sumire's safety. She dismissed his behavior — it was normal for her followers to watch her back as she would do the same.

However, Mochiage had been a peculiar case.

He decided that the only beast he wanted to conquer was Sumire.

Mochiage had cornered her on a precipice, confessing his adoration for her while giving her a choice of dying on the way down from a cliff or forsaking her maidenhood for an eternal devotion.

She was a goddess. Not even heroes can command her to love them.

But Mochiage was different — somehow, Sumire had been more terrified of her uncalled-for emotions rather than Mochiage's menace driven by his infatuation. She'd thought of touching his hand and abandoning her oath, but in a flash, Koko had arrived.

Without a second to waste, he allowed his scorpion to devour Mochiage, ignoring the expression on Sumire's face. Yuu heard of the hunter's death and sent him to the stars for honor, his brilliance unparalleled by Sumire's own radiance. While Koko sang, Sumire looked up at the constellation grimly, and then hid her face to cry.

Koko continued. "They do not know, nobody will ever know..."

Sumire never unraveled what his riddle truly meant.

* * *

_in the sleepless seasons since you left, I have_  
_taught myself to speak again—to stand in sunlight—_

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**iii. **

He once wished he could bathe in the River Lethe, just so he wouldn't spend hours and hours listening to the wails of the dead and counting how many days had it been since Spring's departure.

Persona was cognizant of the fact that the world above were basking in glorious sunshine while he was suffering from six months of cold. Snow didn't exist in the Underworld, but whenever he stood above the fires that led to Tartarus, he still couldn't feel warm enough. The humans didn't deserve Spring, yet they always took her away from him.

He'd found her on a meadow, and he'd been afraid that he would crumble to dust after being in the light for so long. But even the Lord of the Dead could appreciate flowers every now and then _— _there she was, sweeping over the grass with her nimble fingers and breathing happiness and life into the earth. Her eyes were as blue as the sky that she ought to belong to the heavens, and it made Persona furious that she had to be chained to the land of the mortals.

Persona could bear with not having a rightful throne, but he couldn't stand it when Nobara was here, humming melodies of harvest.

Then he thought: why not take her with him?

After all, heaven didn't have much difference from hell _— _all souls were to live forevermore although most of those in Persona's domain were to compensate for the sins they'd committed. Even heroes end up in Elysium, a paradise for the departed _— _how different could it be from Olympus?

Nobara smiled as he approached, neglecting the frozen patches of grass under his feet. He had just killed her creations yet she had paid no heed _— _Persona had finally found someone who understood the beauty of things that ultimately ended.

He coaxed her. "Come with me to my kingdom."

She'd willingly obeyed.

By the time they had passed the River Styx, she was trembling from the darkness that swallowed her whole. Her tanned skin turned into ashen gray, and her blue eyes were as cold as the terrains. She was scared of dying, of being separated from her home _— _but she only murmured, "You rule over a wonderful place. Do not believe them when they say death means oblivion; I assure you that it is a reminder that mortals had been so alive once, and sometimes, their happiness carries on even in the afterlife."

For once, Persona felt what seemed like love. From her words, he concluded that she would stay and live by his side in spite of the bereavement that lingered in his palace.

But she could only hold out for so long _— _flowers do not survive in the winter.

He was stricken by worry. Weeks passed and Nobara's condition didn't show any sign of improvement. Her cheeks became hollowed from residing in the Underworld, and the graying of her hair only worsened. She could barely speak through her thirst and hunger of the earth's fruits.

"I miss my flowers," she said softly. "Do you think they have bloomed already?"

It was that moment that instigated guilt in Persona's conscience _— _never had he thought of saving the lost souls burning through eternity. He lived by his principle of fairness, but he still didn't believe that the earth deserved Nobara.

For her, he would change his mind.

Kitsuneme stepped into his territory at an ungodly time, gripping his caduceus while reciting a message. "Yuu is outraged. Nobara's mother has declared to forfeit her responsibilities lest she sees her daughter back in the fields _— _earth is dying, Persona. You must return her."

Against Nobara's wishes, Persona growled. "She will not leave the Underworld."

"I'm not surprised. You always defy your brother," Kitsuneme laughed.

"Tell them I will not hand her over. I do not care about the earth; in fact, I will welcome anybody who knocks on my door."

Was it because of loneliness that he wanted the mortals to share his gloom?

Kitsuneme nodded, removing his cap to fix his hair for a bit. "I'll narrate what you told me. Beware of Yuu's rage."

He was gone.

Persona had grown fearful of Nobara's state. Just to reassure that she was still breathing, he asked, "You'll stay, won't you?"

Nobara only smiled at him with closed eyes and pale lips. "Yes, I will. If only I could see the sun for a while..."

"We have rivers of fires to give you light. I'll take you to them if you wish to."

"No," Nobara giggled and coughed shortly after. "The sun is more than fire _— _I'm sure Koko would understand. Fire doesn't give birth to life, nor does it paint the sky. The sun doesn't leave ashes in its wake _— _instead, it drizzles colors that not even Olympus can create. It's beautiful."

"Do you want to go back?" Persona blurted, unable to control his jealousy of earth.

Silence ensued, and Nobara broke the icy atmosphere by coughing again. She cleared her throat and said, "Yes, I would definitely love to. But who'll be with you in my absence?"

"I have the dead to accompany me," Persona shrugged. Her hands traced his cheeks in a feather-like motion, and he knew that this was home. _She _was the person he would always go back to.

"But it is them who make you feel solitary," Nobara forced a grin, and despite her ill health, she still appeared to be captivating. "Even the Underworld needs the Spring once in a while."

It hurt Persona to witness Nobara heave and take slow, labored breaths. All for him _— _but he didn't want her death in exchange for the life inside his kingdom. He would never long for her to be in harm's way.

At dawn, Persona took her to the passageway that divided the dead from the living. Nobara had stared at him, calculating if he was willing to go this far to prove that he deeply admired her in spite of their opposing elements. The Lord of the Dead clasped her hand tightly, and when she opened her palm, she saw the pomegranate seeds like beads of his promise.

Persona spoke, "Swear to the River Styx that you will never forget me, and you will eat these. My realm may not bear the sweetest fruits, but these will always satisfy you."

"I swear on the River Styx," Nobara smiled one last time, and swallowed.

The promise was sealed.

* * *

_And I have seen love that cannot die  
In the light of an eternal eye. _

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**iv. **

They lived, unknowing of the span of their immortality. They ruled, unaware of the battles that the mortals staged.

But Hotaru knew — she was ever so omniscient, spiting the humans who journeyed every day to the Temple for their burnt offerings.

The gods were nothing but worthless creatures situated high above the clouds and who deemed themselves rulers of the universe. They were lecherous men and women, granting mortals divinity in exchange for favors that are either destructive or sexual in nature. How dare they place olive circlets on their heads; Hotaru felt an incomparable amount of shame for her family and friends because they had to endure being under the regime of the so-called gods.

She would never let herself forget how she visited a temple for prophecies and heard the future herself.

Admittedly, Hotaru was enchanted by the notion of being able to foretell — Koko introduced her to wonders that she, even as a Trojan princess, couldn't have perceived without the help of a god. She was captivated by being by Koko's side and seeing tomorrow crystal clear in her own eyes.

Then Koko attempted to seduce her, knowing that his magic will make her succumb to his will.

Hotaru was furious — she was aware of her emotions for the god, but she had been hearing stories of Mochiage's death and the person behind it. Kitsuneme, unable to resist spreading the news, animatedly chatted to the civilians about Koko's acrimony towards his sister's best hunter. That was when they had the eclipse — the whole of Greece lapsed into darkness, and the moon never rose in the absence of Sumire's happiness.

Koko was smitten with his own sister.

What a vulgar Olympian family.

Hotaru refused Koko's enticement, leaving the precious prophecies behind and taking her heart with her before it shattered. She had ignored Koko's dark voice, not even listening to his promises by the River Styx when he'd said he would curse her until nobody believed a word she'd say.

"Troy will fall," Hotaru announced to the city. "The Greeks will invade with a humongous horse, and the city will burn to ashes."

They had all laughed at her. She remained dauntless of the scorning looks that even her subjects and brother gave her. "I have been blessed with the gift of prophecy. You must believe me. We will be in ruins if our warriors do not prepare."

She turned to look at Subaru, her brother and the prince next in line for the throne. "Please, brother. I have seen you bloodied on the battlefield, and you shall return to us with no life."

Subaru grimaced and silenced their people with a simple snap of his fingers. "I wish to believe in you, sister, but I trust in the gods and their protection of Troy."

"But they are the ones bestowing you your doom!" Hotaru bristled. "They showed me your destruction."

"No," he said firmly. "I trust in them."

When the night came, Hotaru stood over a pile of decapitated bodies and neglected the walls of fire surrounding her. She wanted to laugh at all of the men who didn't have faith in her words because they deserved all of this. Hotaru was also the first one to see her brother on a chariot, eyes closed and corpse as rigid as the mountains.

Her purple gaze directed into the lightning-infested heavens and she gritted her teeth into a tight line. She screamed.

"Even gods couldn't escape from tragedies! Today, I curse Olympus with misfortunes and burdens greater than what they have drizzled over the mortals' lands, and not even their prophecies cannot stand a chance against their downfall! Let your family be torn apart as you did mine, for you are nothing but people with crowns but no dignity."

"You were never greater than mortals, and someday, you will bow down to us."

Although her voice didn't reach the sky, her condemnation did.

* * *

**I. **

The Fates cut the last threads that they will ever have to encounter in their existence, including their own, and in a split second, Yuu destroyed their chambers with his lightning bolts.

Before Olympus fell, the three sisters, with broken threads and scissors in hands, cackled. "Your time has come, our gods and goddesses!" Yuu, open-mouthed, failed to unleash his anger as pieces of his own soul faded away.

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**II.**

A girl holding discarded offerings looked up and wondered why it was raining _ichor_.

She hopped on to her home, drawn to the sound of her mother shouting "Yura!" over the ruckus in the temple. A resonating voice traveled through the chaos of obsessed worshipers, and she turned around but was greeted by the empty air.

"_Even gods will never escape from tragedies._"

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— — —

"Hey, Yura, are you okay?" Ruka asked, shaking her shoulders. She had just plunged into one of her divination states, but what baffled her the most was that she saw a time that was definitely not from the future. She found it peculiar that a drop of golden blood was on her cheek, and Ruka's expression gave away his similar thoughts.

Still dizzy from the obscure revelation, Yura smiled and motioned for Ruka to go away. "I'm fine, it was just a weird dream..."

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**Ω**

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**Notes: **if any of you didn't understand:

natsume — ares, mikan — aphrodite, yuu — zeus, koko — apollo, sumire — artemis, mochiage — orion, persona — hades, nobara — persephone, kitsuneme — hermes, hotaru — cassandra, subaru — hector.

sorry i'm such a big greek geek (≧◡≦)


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